Data from: Characterisation of reproductive gene diversity in the endangered Tasmanian devil

Inter-individual variation at genes known to play a role in reproduction
may impact reproductive fitness. The Tasmanian devil is an endangered
Australian marsupial with low genetic diversity. Recent work has shown
concerning declines in productivity in both wild and captive populations
over time. Understanding whether functional diversity exists at
reproductive genes in the Tasmanian devil is a key first step in
identifying genes that may influence productivity. We characterised single
nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at 214 genes involved in reproduction in
37 Tasmanian devils. Twenty genes contained non-synonymous substitutions,
with genes involved in embryogenesis, fertilisation and hormonal
regulation of reproduction displaying greater numbers of nonsynonymous
SNPs than synonymous SNPs. Two genes, ADAMTS9 and NANOG, showed putative
signatures of balancing selection indicating that natural selection is
maintaining diversity at these genes despite the species exhibiting low
overall levels of genetic diversity. We will use this information in
future to examine the interplay between reproductive gene variation and
reproductive fitness in Tasmanian devil populations.